Savory Blue Cheese Cake {appetizer}

I have always loved blue cheese. I have fond memories of dining out with my family as a child at the local steak house and diving into the blue cheese dressing when the salad dressing caddy was delivered to the table. I never thought twice about a casual 1000 Island Dressing fling. Nor was I tempted to ‘go exotic’, with Green Goddess dressing. And Italian dressing? Did not turn my head; even once.

I remember reading in one of Michael Pollan’s books (author of the ‘Omnivore’s Dilemma’, ‘Food Rules’, and more) that people are drawn more strongly either to sugar, salt or fat. It’s all Darwinian type stuff; survival related. After considering that proposition I realized the foods I most covet would fall within the fat category. I’m not saying my survival is based on blue cheese but I’d hate to experiment with living without it.

I never anticipated my love for blue cheese being tested. Living through the era where all fats were looked at as contraband, women were expected to be on perpetual diets consuming vast quantities of things like celery which were believed to burn more calories in the consumption process than the poor celery bears itself. Of course no blue cheese for dipping.

Then I became gluten free. The fabulously flavorful dark blue-gray veins in my beloved cheese are created from wheat based mold growth (sexy I know, sorry). There is great debate about whether the final creamy, tangy cheese bears gluten itself, despite the origins. The Canadian Celiac Association has formally added blue cheese to their ‘ok to eat’ list. One needs to decide for themselves (I found this article on the topic interesting) but I’m opting ‘in’. (Note: I used Point Reyes Blue Cheese which is gluten free).

I have been craving football food and with the Super Bowl coming up finding some tasty options seemed apropos. You immediately know if a food is a fit with the ‘football’ genre or not. The dish I am submitting is not a stereotypic choice but one that works nonetheless: Savory Blue Cheese Cake. Sound weird? It’s not. It is a baked dish but not a cake in the traditional sense though does bear the consistency of a sweet traditional cheesecake. Imagine the flavor of blue cheese commingled with cream cheese and sour cream, baked to a light round enhance by some green onion and pecans. This dish great for any party or gathering; no pigskin required. It’s spreadable on crackers or cocktail toast. Perfect paired with grapes and you can make it ahead of time (my favorite type of dish). It’s elegant, sophisticated and something out of the ordinary. And it’s made with blue cheese.

Savory Blue Cheese Cake {appetizer}

This appetizer will elevate any gathering or party, whether it be football or a cockatil party. Simple to make, its creamy flavor of blue cheese, sour cream and cream cheese are perfect to spread over gourmet crackers or paired with fruits such as grapes or pears.

Instructions

Beat together the cream cheese and the blue cheese until light and fluffy.

Mix in 1 cup of the sour cream (reserve the remaining 1 ½ cup) and the pepper.

Add eggs one at a time, beating after each egg.

Stir in onions and nuts.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let stand on a cooling rack for 5 minutes (do not turn off the oven).

Spread the remaining 1 ½ cups sour cream on the top of the cake and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove, allow to cool on a wire rack and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. Remove outer ring of springform pan when serving to allow ease of slicing.

The advantage of the springform pan Jean is when the ‘cake’ is done you release the outer ring and remove it so it can be easily sliced (as you see in the photos). I’m sure the recipe would still be delicious no matter what you bake it in, just might be trickier to remove slices. Sounds like time for an experiment!

I absolutely agree Jean! Time to employ the old adage ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way’! I think it might be a bit like removing the first slice of pie. Once you are through that the rest should come out easily. Good luck!

Fat, fat, fat please. And if you are what you eat…argh, I’m in trouble! Everything cheesy is for me. Guess it’s because my family is from the North and we must keep warm! Totally pinning this and making it this week for no other reason than I want to. Blue Cheese Cake and salad for dinner one night this week.

Colleen I agree this is fantastic. I’ve been a blue cheese fan since I was a child and this recipe is like heaven for me! It’s a beautiful blend of flavors, with enough blue cheese but still creamy. It’s very unusual making it perfect to dazzle guests….and they’ll never know how easy it was to make! You are welcome!

This sounds fantastic! I can not believe that no one has commented: “What? There is gluten-free Blue Cheese?” I must say that in my gluten days, I was known for my cheesecake and my blue cheese dressing and dip.

This dish gives me hope that I can reclaim my life with one dish. I can hardly wait for the compliments at the upcoming holiday carry-ins.

To tag along to some of the prior comments: if you cut fat out of your diet, you will be missing something very important. Most likely, you will seek solace in foods with the wrong kind of fat, hidden. For me, pass the butter and cream; keep the sugar and carbs. 60+ and never been close to a negative cholesterol test!

I agree Dinah! I think despite the Candadian Celiac group ruling there is no gluten in blue cheese from the molding process, I still check from habit! We have enjoyed this thoroughly and as a secondary physical check indeed have never had any of the tell tale responses we do when accidentally ingesting gluten.

I too have low cholesterol and would go so far as to label myself a cheese addict! Were I shipwrecked with only a small wheel of Brie, I’d be good! Fat provides so many necessary functions in the body, cutting it out is not only ill-informed but I’d go so far to say it can have extremely detrimental effects. And if you are going to eat it, enjoy it! This ‘cake’ fills that bill and more.

Thank you! I had a mini blue cheese cake beside a phenomenal steak many years ago and have secretly wanted to try and reproduce it. No one believes me when I tell them it was one of the greatest surprise tastes/textures I can recall. Looking forward to testing your recipie.

Where do you get such lovely and yummy looking gluten free crackers?? I would love that source! I am so excited to have just found your site!!! Dying to try everything!!!!! Thank you for Real gluten free food!!

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